1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method, a network system, a recording medium, and a computer program for processing a transmission message among a plurality of sites connected to one another via a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
In case shipping the products manufactured by various kinds of manufacturers, such as electrical products, abroad, the current physical distribution system resorts to the following procedures (1)˜(5). However, the following explanation will be given, as an example, of a case where cargoes are exported by ship from at home to, for example, abroad.
(1) Shipping Plan
When shipping a product abroad, etc., first, there is deliberately drafted a shipping plan that is comprised of shipping base data (six items of basic information that represent “Who”, “What”, “How many/much”, “When”, “Where from”, and “Where to”. The shipping plan is input by, for example, a relevant person in charge inside the maker with the use of a terminal that is constituted by a personal computer (PC), etc.
(2) Booking
When the shipment plan has been determined, they obtain from a plurality of shipping companies ship departure timetables (vessel schedules) functioning as their transport schedules. On each of the ship departure timetables there is described detailed schedule data including a ship name, a tonnage, a departure port, ports of call, a departure date, etc. They finally decide the load contents, etc. according to this ship departure timetable and determine an optimum shipping company from among a plurality of the shipping companies. After having made this determination, they make temporary reservation (pre-booking) of the shipping company (tonnage). Thereafter, after final confirmation, they perform pre-booking of the tonnage. In many cases, a shipping company by-proxy performs various kinds of procedures and business operations (receipt in trust of cargoes (exportation packing jobs), custom clearance job, carrying-into-and-out-of-bonded-warehouse job, ship-loading job, etc.) necessary for exportation.
(3) Selection of Insurance Company (Damage Insurance Company)
Since the cargoes to be forwarded are done by marine transportation, most of the cargoes are insured against loss. Based on the quantity of the cargoes and shipping value of them, the consignor side calculates the amount of insurance money for the cargo. Then consignor side selects an optimum insurance company from among a plurality of the insurance companies that have shown premium rates with respect to the insurance money. The insurance contract is signed with the selected insurance company or by way of an agency. When applying for the insurance, the applicant has an insurance policy or an insurance certificate issued according to the contents of his letter of application.
(4) Selection of Domestic Transport Trader
To load up freight from the warehouse (one within a maker's factory, a designated one, etc.) having the freight kept in custody and convey it up to a designated place, they select an optimum domestic transportation trader from among a plurality of the registered transportation traders (such as by-truck transportation traders).
(5) Ship-Loading and B/L Insurance
When a maker's designated cargo is loaded into a ship, after this shipment is confirmed, a bill of lading (Bill of Lading: a bill of lading) is issued from the shipping company. For instance, in case of an air cargo, an AWBC (an air waybill: a letter of cargo transportation) is issued.
After completion of the above-described various kinds of procedures, the cargo is delivered from the maker to a foreign trader or client (business client)
To establish a system of physical distribution, in respective courses of making or receiving orders for things or services, a wide variety of items of information must be exchanged between the clients and traders. In the conventional type of physical-distribution system, various kinds of transaction information items have been directly exchanged between one client and one trader, between one client and a plurality of traders, or between a plurality of clients and one trader.